Originally Posted by
cyccommute
If you are planning on carrying electronic, their utility is even less. When you carry it on your back, you can cushion the pounding a little but on your bike it's just going to get pounded into dust.
Well, I can say that I have had a pannier w/ a 10# laptop fly off when I hit a pothole, and there was nothing the worse for wear after that.
Of course I also got myself launched pretty far one time and landed on my back w/ a computer in a bag on my back (that I landed on) and it was fine too. So, I gotta say, I don't think you have any data (or even anecdotes) to support that claim. My computers have 10s of ks of miles on them in panniers, and they keep working great.
My cell phone in various pockets, I'm not so sure about.